My question is where did you buy these lilacs from? Some nurseries are much more reliable and responsible than others. If Klehms, for example, sells a yellow lilac, their guarantee is worth a million times more than, say, Gurneys or Spring Hill.

I have one, bought it in a "box" from walmart. It is now 3 years old. about 3-4 ft in height. It bloomed this year for the first time (TONS TONS TONS of flowers)a VERY pale yellow, one would think it was white. But I also have a white lilac next to it, and it is definately not white. So I wonder if I have more years to wait for the "photo shot" of the yellow that you see in catalogs.

I've never grown it, but I've read before that it's far more yellow in Europe than it is in the USA.

Oh, man.
I bought two, 4 years ago. They've never bloomed, either.
If I remember correctly, I bought from Spring Hill (now owned by Gardens Alive! I think). I gave one to my SIL, who has yet to see blossoms, either.

White? I've dug those up and given them away. Grrrrr...

Christine

a lot of yellow flowers.. will bleach out to white in full sun ... and yet might be yellow in more shade...

but flowering bushes need full sun to bloom ... real catch 22 ...

look at a globe .. and be startled how far north most of Europe is to most of us.. inclination of the sun will easily fit into the logic .. in other words.. the sun is much more intense here.. and therefore.. a very light yellow might fade to white extremely fast ...

in hosta ... of which i have a few.. there are very few pure white flowers .... almost all have some purple in them .... if grown in full shade.. you can see the purple rather easily ... whereas the same plant.. in full sun.. will look like it has a white flower ... go figure ...

ken

It's primrose yellow at first, fading later even in our dull climate here.

Try this link: Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens, Inc. in Woodland, Washington. They have world class lilacs. They are in the middle of their selling season right now. I live near there so don't know if they will ship other areas or not.

A million thanks to the previous posters! I had a feeling this yellow lilac was too good to be true and you just saved me from a long wait only to be disappointed!

Can I say S@$%!!!! I ordered one from Spring Hill, it will be here this fall. I live in Washington and in what is also called the Lilac City ( Spokane ). Maybe it will do ok things don't get above the 70's here until late June. Maybe that will help me? I had selected a spot in my yard that gets sun most of the day, should I select a different spot?

I have two of these bushes. They bloom every year but it did take a few years. They are a very light yellow. I’m wondering if the acidity of the soil makes any difference. I bought them from Spring Hill. The first time, they didn’t make it through the winter. They were sold out so I didn’t get any replacement. I ordered again the following year. That was over 12 years ago. I have written to Spring Hill that the yellow is not as intense as the photos but they never bothered to respond.

Spring Hill is one of the worst nurseries in the country.

Spring Hill WAS a marvelous nursery until they were purchased by a National Company. When they were a local Company (one could either go to the local Greenhouses or order from a catalog) they stood behind their products, and completely honored ALL of their Customers. Lord, I miss those days!!

I bought one of these 7 plus years ago It bloomed the last two years but the blooms are DARK PURPLE ! It probably has something to do with our soil which is clay

I purchased a yellow lilac bush about 15 years ago. It has never been yellow. Mine has the ordinary purple blooms.

Reminds me of the Forsythia 'Kumson' I bought. The photos of it are amazing. The veining on the foliage is supposed to be white--only been a couple of years--no white in sight yet.

I bought one last year, from a local nurse.ry. I believe she said it was 2 years old. It bloomed last year, more of a cream color. Definitely not white, but also not quite yellow. No flowers yet this year…still too early here. But, it has definitely grown, amd is filling out nicely. i am eager for flowers.. I have not been able to find anything about some sort of ”additive” to force the yellow.…like you can force color in Hydrangeas.

Just so everyone is aware, supposedly yellow flowered lilacs that bloom purple have simply been mislabeled. Lilacs cannot change color. And one cannot change the color of ANY lilac with soil additives, like you can do with some types of hydrangeas. Very different plants with very different biological processes going on.

I bought what I thought was going to be primrose yellow lilacs from Zulilly (before they went under), but 2 1/2 years on, they appear to be Angel White blooms. Sucks for all of us, but I’m glad I’m not the only one with this issue.